A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section. The compressor section typically includes low and high pressure compressors, and the turbine section includes low and high pressure turbines.
A speed reduction device such as an epicyclical gear assembly may be utilized to drive the fan section such that the fan section may rotate at a speed different than the turbine section so as to increase the overall propulsive efficiency of the engine. In such engine architectures, a lubricant routed through passages in a manifold to specific portions of the gear assembly.
The gear assembly may require lubricant in different temperatures and pressures to meet lubricant and cooling requirements. Moreover, the location of the geared architecture may provide a convenient means of directing lubricant to parts of the engine located near the gear assembly. Accordingly, the lubricant manifold includes separate passages for directing lubricant to different parts of the gear assembly and engine. A main filter is provided for the entire system and screens are placed within channels of the manifold to prevent contaminants from reaching portions of the gear assembly. The main filter is not suitable to control contaminants that may originate within the system that could interfere with gear operation.
Although geared architectures have improved propulsive efficiency, turbine engine manufacturers continue to seek further improvements to engine performance including improvements to thermal, transfer and propulsive efficiencies.